Time/Date: Monday, May 12 | 7:30 PM ET
Location: Madison Square Garden
TV/Stream: ESPN (U.S.), Sportsnet/TSN (Canada)

Series Snapshot:

• Current Standings: Knicks lead 2-1, but Celtics dominated Game 3 (115-93) with a 50% three-point shooting surge.
• Key Momentum Shift: Boston’s bench star Payton Pritchard (23 pts in Game 3) and Jayson Tatum’s resurgence (22 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast) reignited their offense.
• Knicks’ Struggles: Poor three-point efficiency (20% in Game 3) and offensive stagnation against Boston’s elite defense.

Critical Factors for Game 4:

1. Celtics’ Three-Point Consistency:

   • Must replicate Game 3’s 50% shooting from deep, despite Sam Hauser’s potential absence (ankle injury).
   • Ball movement and transition play will test New York’s defense.

2. Knicks’ Adjustments:

   • Address slow starts (trailed by double digits in every game).
   • Jalen Brunson (27 pts in Game 3) and Karl-Anthony Towns (21 pts, 15 reb) need to exploit mismatches and energize perimeter shooting.

3. MSG’s Playoff Atmosphere:

   • Knicks fans aim to fuel a bounce-back, but Boston’s composure on the road (33-8 record this season) could neutralize the home-court advantage.

Key Matchups:

• Jayson Tatum vs. Julius Randle: Tatum’s isolation scoring vs. Randle’s physicality.
• Jalen Brunson vs. Jrue Holiday: Holiday’s lockdown defense (held Brunson to 9/21 FG in Game 3) remains pivotal.
• Bench Battle: Pritchard’s scoring (13 PPG series avg.) vs. Immanuel Quickley’s speed.

Prediction:
Celtics 108, Knicks 103 – Boston’s balanced offense and playoff experience edge out New York’s desperation. Expect a tight game, but the Celtics’ road resilience and three-point firepower secure the series tie.

Odds:

• Spread: Celtics -6.5
• Over/Under: 209 points